Battle over the Horizon
by Mr. The Monk
Summary: Following his defeat at the Sinnoh Conference, Ash decides to accept Scott's offer of becoming a Frontier Brain. Ash's adventure, however, is far from complete. He will have to discover and face many trials and tribulations, all while performing his duties as a member of the Kanto Battle Frontier.
1. Beginning Anew

**Battle over the Horizon**

_"I thought my day was going to be just like any other, ya know? Go around searching for trainers I deemed capable of taking on the Kanto Battle Frontier…it's what I do. My agenda that day was fairly straightforward…nothing new, really. Admittedly, I had fallen into a rather circular rut, which is something I hate to fall into." _

_Scott laughed boisterously, surprising some of the reporters. "But if there is something I can always count on from that kid, it's that he always knows how to surprise me…to tell you all the truth, I was mighty disappointed when he initially turned down my offer to become a Frontier Brain. However, I understood that he wanted to continue his journey. After all, what kind of trainer doesn't want to explore the world for what it has to offer? But back to topic at hand, as I'm sure that is what you reporters want to hear." He turned and eyed each and every camera before announcing his answer to everyone's question. _

_"Ash Ketchum…is indeed the seventh Frontier Brain of the Kanto Battle Frontier."_

* * *

><p>It was a beautiful day over in Pallet Town. The normally tranquil atmosphere of the quaint town was further blessed with an enriching bout of weather. Today was a fine day, as any towns person would've agreed.<p>

Delia Ketchum was also enjoying the fine weather as she blissfully tended to her flourishing garden. She took a temporary break from her work and looked around, her eyes trying to locate something or someone. "Mimey! Where are you?" She called out, listening for a response.

Sure enough, a Mr. Mime appeared from the side of the house, looking battered and exhausted. Delia gasped at the amount of dirt and grime that covered her number one helper. "Mimey? What have you been doing that's gotten you so dirtied?"

"Mime! Mr. Mime! Mime…" Mr. Mime tried to explain, waving its hands frantically. Delia looked at the poor Pokémon quizzically. "Were you digging for something?"

"Mime!" Mr. Mime denied, exasperated at the lack of effective communication. "Mime, Mr. Mime, mime!" Still confused, Ms. Ketchum attempted to decipher the code of what her Pokémon was trying to tell her. "You…fell into a mud puddle?" Mr. Mime gave her a deadpan expression; Delia defensively retorted, "Well, it's not as if I can read your mind, Mr. Psychic Type!"

"MARSH!"

Delia looked past Mr. Mime and traced her eyes to where Mr. Mime had just come from, believing that the sound she heard and come from over there. "Hello? Is someone there?" She politely called out, curious to see who would appear. Slowly but surely, an almost cyan colored Pokémon emerged from the side, giving the young woman a silly grin. "Marsh!"

"Good afternoon, Marshtomp!" Delia earnestly replied, letting out a small giggle. "I can see why Mimey is all covered with dirt and mud now…" Mr. Mime folded its arms, sticking its tongue out at Marshtomp. Mrs. Ketchum stifled another chuckle before addressing the Pokémon again. "Why are you here? Is Brock with you today?"

Marshtomp nodded in affirmation, pointing towards the other side of the house. A well-built young man came into view and smiled at Delia. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Ketchum. It's nice to see you again."

Delia stood up and took off her gardening gloves as she gave Brock a motherly smile. "Likewise. It's always a pleasure to have you keep Mimey and me company."

"Sorry about your Mr. Mime. Marshtomp wanted to play a prank and…well…how could I stand in the way?" He said, giving a sheepish grin towards Mr. Mime. "Sorry about that, Mr. Mime." With a huff, Mr. Mime gave Brock the cold shoulder for a bit before forgiving him. All of them had a bit of a laugh to blow over the whole situation.

As they finished, Delia turned to Brock again. "So, are you here by yourself, or…"

"If you are talking about Ash, he isn't here at the moment." Brock answered. Sensing a mother's panic attack, he quickly finished, "…but he'll be here soon. He just said that he had to take care of a few things before coming back."

"Oh?" Delia questioned, wondering what her son could possibly be up to now. "Is he traveling by himself?"

Brock slowly shook his head. "No, he's still traveling with Dawn at the moment. According to what he said, he should be back within the next day or so."

Delia nodded for a second, before doing a sudden double-take. "Wait, What! He's traveling with Dawn…by _himself_?"

Brock looked at her with a confused expression. "Yeah. Dawn insisted that she keep him company and…"

"Oh no…no! This simply won't do!" Mrs. Ketchum interrupted, rapidly getting more and more worked up. She rushed inside the house and slammed the door behind her, leaving a stunned party behind her. Brock glanced over Marshtomp, giving a quick shrug of his shoulders. The Pokémon mimicked Brock, shrugging its shoulders in response. All of them heard a phone being picked up then slammed a few moments later.

Delia brazenly rushed back into the front yard, looking almost unstable. For Brock, it was quite the shocking experience. Delia turned back to Brock and pointed to him accusingly. "…"

"Mrs. Ketchum!" Brock shouted, silencing Delia in shock. He gave a deep breath, motioning for her to do the same. Reluctantly, she complied and began to give deep breaths. Once Brock was sure that she was calm, he said, "Now, what exactly is the problem?"

"Ash is traveling with a rather…_attractive_…young girl. And to be quite honest, this is about the time when he should be dealing with hormonal…_tendencies_." Delia worriedly explained, twiddling her thumbs in the process. "Considering the circumstances, it wouldn't be too surprising if…you know; boys do reckless things that they'll regret later all the time. And Ash is a bit reckless…he could very well do something that he should wait on doing! Patience was never really a strong suit of him…"

Before Delia could continue, she noticed that Brock was trying to hold back a laugh. And by the looks of it, it was a big one. "What?" She asked, slightly offending by Brock's lack of tact. "Do you think that this is a joke?"

"Ah ha ha…rest assured that Ash won't do any of those things." Brock replied as he managed to hold back his laugh but still received death glares from Mrs. Ketchum. "He considers Dawn a close friend of his. Nothing more and nothing less. You have little to worry about." Delia looked at Brock closely, attempting to find any traces of doubt within his statement.

"How can you be so sure?"

The young man let out a small chuckle. "I've been with Ash far longer than anyone else during his journey. And due to my rather flirtatious nature, I can't help but try to notice if and when Ash takes romantic interest in a girl. So far, I've only really seen one, maybe two. But he's never had any romantic interest in the girls he's traveled with."

Delia Ketchum searched Brock's expression for a bit longer before letting out a sigh of concession. "Very well, if you say so. It's not like I can control what he does, anyways."

"Trust me…you raised a great person, Mrs. Ketchum. He would make you proud with his actions and decisions." Brock pleasantly reassured. Delia turned away from Brock and headed back to her garden duties. A small smile lightened her face as she knew that what Brock was saying was the absolute truth. "Would you like to help me with these, Brock?" She asked, pointing towards green vines that looked like they were approaching the flowers. "It's always difficult for me to pull all of these weeds out…"

"Sure, no problem at all."

* * *

><p>"Ash, are you <em>sure <em>that you know where you are going?"

Ash, along with his trademark Pikachu, turned around to give Dawn a rather cocky grin. "Of course I know where we are going! I know Kanto like the back of my hand!" He answered triumphantly, pumping his fist into the air charismatically. "Pika Pi!" Pikachu agreed, copying Ash's fist pump.

Dawn still frowned. "I dunno…according to Brock, you don't seem to be the master of directions…" Ash waved her doubtful statement away before she could continue. "Hey! I've gotten a lot better at following a map! Look!" He said, pointing towards a picture of trees and a green hill. "This is where Scott lives! I know exactly where I am going!"

As Ash rolled up the map, Dawn scoffed, "Well, excuse _me _for being concerned for my own personal safety!" Pikachu hopped off the Ash's shoulder and flashed Dawn a reassuring smile. "Pika pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu was clearly more confident in Ash's ability to not get lost than Dawn was. The Pokémon Coordinator merely sighed and shrugged, hoping that Ash knew what he was doing.

Today had been the third day since the group separated. While the group took multiple ferries to arrive in Kanto, they eventually reached in crossroad in which Ash had to part in order to fulfill his own agenda. Brock, slightly worried about Ash's ability to stay safe on his own, suggested that Dawn travel with him. The coordinator agreed to keep a watchful eye on the adventurous Pokémon Trainer, claiming that it would also be beneficial for her to gain some exposure to the Pokémon of Kanto.

After they split apart, Ash had been relatively quiet the whole way, much to Dawn's apprehension. It was unlike Ash to be so quiet; it was almost as if he was intently focusing or thinking about something. Dawn, however, did not want to step on the trainer's toes with a barrage of questions, especially after his devastating lost against the Legendary Pokémon Trainer, Tobias. To her surprise, Ash didn't seem all that upset with his loss; on the contrary, he looked almost _happy_ to have lost. It bewildered Dawn to no extent, but she figured that it was better to have a happy Ash than a mope-around-all-day-and-look-like-Pikachu-just-died Ash. According to Brock, that was what happened back in the Indigo League.

Despite all of this, Dawn just had to know where they were doing exactly. She couldn't stand the thought of not knowing. The Pokémon Coordinator decided to ask the inevitable, crossing her fingers that it wouldn't upset Ash. "So, uh, Ash?"

"Yeah Dawn?"

"What exactly are we doing?"

"We are going to Scott's house, of course." He earnestly replied. Dawn shook her head, confusing the young trainer. "No, I mean…why are we going there? Is he an old friend of yours? Why do you need to see him now…and on such short notice?" Ash's expression faintly shifted. "I need to ask him something very important. Something that…I'm afraid cannot wait much longer. Right Pikachu?" Pikachu nodded, leaping back unto Ash's shoulder. "Pi Pika!"

"If you say so…" Dawn replied hesitantly, still not satisfied with the answer she got. Nevertheless, she decided to drop the issue as they approached an open market.

Glancing around, many varieties of berries, knick-knacks, and other assorted materials could be seen. Many of the shopkeepers were portly men, yet a few women also tended to their own stands. "Huh?" Ash remarked, clearly confused by his surroundings. "That's strange…I could've sworn that Scott's house was somewhere around here…"

As Ash began to look around for some sort of house shaped building, Dawn looked over the map once more, tracing her eyes over their general location. After double-checking, she rolled up the map, approached the wandering trainer, and gave a light whack of her bag upside his head.

"ASH! We were going _east_, not _west_. That's why you can't find your friend's house!"

Ash rubbed his head, grumbling under his breath. "Stupid map…hard to read…that bag kinda hurt…"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Stop complaining. If you want to get to this guy's house before nightfall, then we gotta start walking the other direction right now." Ash's eyes widened at her suggestion, his legs already whining in protest. "But that'll take us forever! Plus, I don't think that I can make my legs do anything they don't want to do…"

Dawn's frustration continued to fester. "Stop being so lazy Ash!" She barked suddenly, causing Ash to reflexively flinch. "Honestly, it's not that bad. I'm the one who is telling _you _to tough it out! I love hotels, spas, and places that pamper me to no end, but I also know when sacrifices must be made. Now let's go!" After hearing Dawn's mini-tirade, Ash settled on listening to her, much to his own chagrin.

"Well geez, no wonder Brock didn't trust me…"

The Pokémon Coordinator tried to maintain a tough face, but quickly broke into a small giggle. "No need to worry!" She exclaimed, pointing towards where they had just came from. "This is nothing that we can't handle! After all, isn't meeting your friend the whole reason you even came here?"

_"That was a bit bipolar," _Ash thought, scratching his head in confusion. Nonetheless, he nodded in agreement, gradually forming a fist in determination. "Yeah…yeah! You are right Dawn! We've been through a lot worse than this!" Pikachu looked up at Ash with gleaming eyes, feeling the vibrant energy that Ash exuded. "Pika pika!"

"_Wow, I didn't think it would be that easy…" _Dawn thought, surprised at how encouraging she managed to be. Feeling the sun beating down on her, she groaned, "But first, can we get out of the sun? It's ruining my perfect tan!"

Ash smirked. "What tan? Are you talking about the nonexistent one?"

The coordinator stared daggers at Ash for his statement, but soon began to remember the sun's attack on her skin. She decided to get her petty revenge…later. Hurriedly, she ushered Ash and Pikachu into a nearby berry shop that was blanketed by some sort of heat-resistant covering. Relief overtook the young trainers as they slumped against the wall of the shop, both unsure of when they would want to stand up again. Pikachu perched himself upon the nearby counter and curled up, keeping a close eye on the two to make sure they would be safe; Pikachu was naturally protective all of his friends.

As seconds turned into minutes, the group continued to lie there, not moving an inch. The shopkeeper, a young lad of about 20 years, realized the brutality of the sun's effect on travelers and allowed them to stay where they were, granted that they did not steal anything. After Dawn thanked the shopkeeper for his generosity and understanding, she looked up to the covering of the shop, lost in thought. _"We should really get going. The sun is going down and if we don't leave soon, we'll end up spending the night in the forest…"_

Suddenly breaking out of thought, Dawn looked over to Pikachu; he was sleeping peacefully upon the counter top, surrounded by Oran Berries and Chesto Berries. The Pokémon Coordinator thought, _"That is just adorable! Pikachu always looks cute when he sleeps…I guess we can resume our travel tomorrow. I'll spare Ash for now…" _She turned to Ash, who was softly snoring next to her. Dawn smiled, getting to her feet. _"…I guess Pokémon do inherit the qualities of their trainers…"_

Dawn began to talk to the shopkeeper, asking if there was any place that would house the weary travelers. The shopkeeper pondered for a moment, but ultimately shook his head sadly. "Nope. Ter' ain't no place tha' takes in people overnigh'. This is jus' a shoppin' area missy. Mighty sorry…" He started to finish but, looking at Dawn's once hopeful expression deteriorate into a look of utter defeat and disappointment, stopped mid-sentence. "I…uhh…" He stammered hesitantly, scratching the back of his head anxiously. "I…guess I could house ya'll for tonigh'…"

Dawn beamed at him brightly, in which he responded by laughing nervously. He was unused to such gratitude. "Thanks! You just made my day!" The Pokémon Coordinator twirled in excitement. As soon as her happiness arose though, it had been replaced with a look of concern. "Are you sure we are not imposing?" She asked, seemingly unconvinced that the shopkeeper's generosity was truly genuine. "We would hate to be rude…"

The shopkeeper was startled by Dawn's unexpected lack of faith in his kindness, but quickly shook it off. He grinned in response. "Tain't no problem. Company is awfully nice ta' have nowadays." Dawn smiled but still held some reservations. She glanced around the shop and turned back to the shopkeeper, extending her hand out to him. He looked at the hand in confusion until she explained.

"Well, it just doesn't feel right to meet someone's kindness without first offering kindness yourself. So I've decided to assist you in any way I can for the rest of the day."

The shopkeeper frowned in response. "Ter' ain't much ya'll can do. The day's almost over and no one's gonna buy my berries at this hour…" He stopped for a second, mulling something over. Dawn looked upon him anxiously. "Well…" He began, scratching his head again. "If ya'll could fetch me some water for ma' berries, I would be mighty grateful." He pointed down south of a road that was lined with a variety of vines. "Ter' is a river over some hills. The water is fresh and helps ma' berries grow. I would go, but I reckon ya'll will want to help me, ya?"

"No need to worry! I'll get your water for you in a flash!" The blue-haired coordinator promised, turning her back to the shopkeeper as she made her way out of the shop. Once she got out, stared at the stunning sunset for a moment. "Amazing…" Dawn remarked, breath-taken by the sight. "I always see sunsets when I travel with Ash and Brock…but this one is just…"

She shook her head. "Not now Dawn! You've got a river to find!" She reminded herself. Dawn pulled off her backpack bag and rummaged through it, looking for something with great haste. She soon found it, much to her delight. "Piplup, come on out!" She called out as she tossed the Pokéball high into the air. A radiant white light was unleashed from the contents of the ball; it light materialized into the form of Piplup. The Pokémon blinked for a few moments before going to a series of stretches. Dawn looked upon Piplup apologetically. "Sorry I haven't let you out recently. I know you don't like to be in there much, but I also know that you wouldn't have wanted to walk the whole way here."

"Pip Piplup!" The Pokémon protested hotly, stomping the ground impatiently. Dawn rolled her eyes at Piplup's theatrics. "Don't give me that!" She argued back. "You've become just as lazy as Ash!" Piplup's eyes widened. "Pip?"

Taking in a good look at Piplup's hurt expression, Dawn's voice immediately softened. "I'm sorry Piplup." She quickly apologized as she watched tiny tears form in Piplup's eyes. "I've just had a long day. I am tired, irritable, and just want to go sleep in my own cozy bed."

"Piplup…" Piplup sympathetically replied. The Pokémon seemed to understand what Dawn was talking about, despite her hurtful words. Dawn's pity party didn't last long as she remembered what she was originally supposed to do. "Oh shoot!" She snapped. "I'm running out of time!"

"Pip?"

"Piplup, I need you to help me find a river somewhere down that road." Dawn said, pointing towards the road that the shopkeeper had told her to go. "I know that water-types are more sensitive to the whereabouts of water, so I'm hoping that you can help me."

Piplup still looked at her confusedly. "Pip Piplup pip?" It asked. Dawn sighed in response. "I know that we could just use one of your water type moves to make some water. But I really want to do this by the book, just like he wants." She sighed again. "And the only way to do that is to go get some water from the river. I promised him river water, so that's what he is going to get!"

Piplup, looking determined, faced the road without fear. "Piplup!" It cried out, eager to enter. Dawn appreciated her Pokémon's desire to help her and began to walk on the road…

"WAIT!"

Dawn turned around, wondering where that voice had came from. A figure seemed to be running after her. Upon closer inspection and much squinting, the figure appeared to be the shopkeeper. He was holding an empty wooden bucket. Once he finally caught up to her, he bent over to catch his breath, extending the bucket to the coordinator. "Here, ya'll need this for tat' river." The shopkeeper mentioned raggedly. Once he caught his breath, he straightened his posture and eyed the young Pokémon Coordinator warily. "I'll be a'waitin' for yer' return." He turned around and walked back to his store. Dawn and Piplup simply stared at each other before heading off.

"What a strange guy…"

"Pip_lup_…"

* * *

><p>"Thanks for the visit Brock!" Delia called out as she waved him goodbye. After a day of helping Delia with her garden, as well as with a variety of other household chores, Brock had to return to his gym in order to face any challengers that might've stopped by. Once Brock had vanished from Delia's eyesight, she couldn't help but frown. He could've at least waited until the next morning to leave, but Brock insisted that he enjoyed to travel the path during the evening. It wasn't like she could've stopped him anyways; however, some part of her knew that she would miss his company. Brock was one of the few people who actually came to see her. She spent most of her time alone or with Mr. Mime, which often forced her to think about her only child.<p>

"Oh, how I miss you so much, son…" She reflected out loud, gaining a sympathetic glance from Mimey. Mr. Mime knew that Delia had her moments like this and it often made the Pokémon distressed that it could not really comfort her. Once Delia saw that Mr. Mime was watching her, she quickly broke out into an over-enthusiastic smile. "Well, we best prepare for the evening Mimey!" She exclaimed, almost too sweetly. "We have a busy day tomorrow, as usual!" As Delia went about her business, Mr. Mime sighed in sadness; it was not usual for her to cover up her true emotions with falsified versions of happiness. But seeing as there was little to be done about it, The Mime Pokémon merely about its own business. The next hour or so was extremely quiet within the Ketchum household; nobody really talked and only the occasional shifting sounds of body movement penetrated the still air. Eventually, the two of them embraced the gentle lull of sleep.

The evening night transformed the sky into ballet of stars, each doing their own celestial dance. Each star told a story…

…and one star in particular had quite the story to tell.

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Update will be coming within the next week or so.<p> 


	2. Acceptance

**Here we are! Chapter Two, yeah! And it only took roughly 8-9 months to get it out…yep. But don't fret! For all of you who probably said "Welp, I guess this is another story that's not gonna be continued", you would be wrong. I've suddenly gained much more free time and will be focusing on this little gem of mine. So I now I shall deliver the next part of the tale. Oh, and shout-out to: **

_mysteryangelcutlass14, Smitz, bigdogneversleeps, Swagnilla-Ice-1985 , and Farla! _

**You've all been wonderful.**

* * *

><p>The gentle cover of darkness was lifted as the brightly shining sun slowly rose over the marketplace. Those who were looking for good deals and early morning specials were already standing outside of various stores. Shopkeepers who made their homes in their stores were already up and serving available customers; those who lived elsewhere and set up shop here were just now arriving. Friendly greetings and warm exchanges permeated the atmosphere of this small shopping area; the hustle and bustle continued to grow as the sun's rays beamed down with increasing intensity. It would seem as if today was going to be even warmer than the last. Because of this area being susceptible to heat, all the shop owners made sure to have a ready supply of water and cool air. At the highlight of each day, every shopkeeper would have their water and a fan set up inside their shops. But for now, the day was still young and shop owners were more concerned with sales than with the unforgiving sun.<p>

Inside the berry sellers shop, Dawn, Ash, and Pikachu slept peacefully against the wall. They were wrapped up in some cloth that the shopkeeper let them borrow. It wasn't the most comfortable material in the world, but it passed for keeping the cold night air away from them. Even after the berry shopkeeper opened his store up, the trio continued to sleep the morning away. It was only after the temperature started to rise that they managed to wake themselves up. Dawn groggily stood up; she had less sleep than Ash and Pikachu did thanks to her 'nighttime adventure' and was clearly feeling the effects of it. The Blue-Haired Coordinator aggressively shook her head in an attempt to stay awake; all she managed to do, however, was mess up her already messed up bed-hair.

"_Uh no, my hair…" _She thought worriedly, already trying to reshape her hair with her bare hands. Once she quickly discovered that her hands weren't going to cut it, she huffed in frustration and dove into her backpack with the intent to locate her stylized brush.

As Dawn continued her antics, Pikachu was the next to fully wake up. "Chaaa…" The Mouse Pokémon loudly yawned. He glanced over at his trainer, who had fallen back asleep.

"Pikaaa…" Pikachu was charging his electric sacs. He just loved to wake his trainer this way; it was much more fun for him. "CHUU!" Pikachu cried out as electricity was sent throughout Ash's entire body. By the time Pikachu was done, Ash's clothes were smoking and Ash sporadically twitched on the hard ground.

"T-thanks Pikachu," he managed to stammer out as he continued to feel the effects of the shock. _"At least no one can ever call Pikachu weak…" _He tiredly thought. _"I wish that Pikachu could find another way of waking me up though. I don't think I'll ever get used to this method."_

"Pika?" Pikachu poked Ash, wondering why his trainer wasn't getting back up. Pikachu thought that maybe he had given his trainer a bit too much of a wake-up call. The Mouse Pokémon swiftly ran over to Dawn, who was tending to her hair. "Pika Pi!"

"Huh? What is it, Pikachu?" Dawn asks as she felt Pikachu rapidly tap her leg. Pikachu, relieved to have gotten her attention, ran back to his fallen trainer.

"Pika!" Pikachu said, pointing to Ash's charred clothing and non-responsive body. Although it did seem unusual for Ash to not bounce back by now, she wasn't too concerned.

"Don't worry Pikachu, he'll be fine," she said, going back to her hair. _"If anything, his stomach will get him moving._"

Sure enough, Ash was back on his feet after the aroma of tantalizing berries reached his nose. He comically sniffed around the shop, trying to find out which berry smelled the tastiest, much to Dawn's growing embarrassment. "Ash, stop that!" she scolded, grabbing his collar and dragging him out of the shop. "Honestly, could you be a little more professional?" As Dawn continued to scold Ash, Pikachu happily hopped on his trainer's shoulders and was ready to hit the road again. But before they could go anywhere their stomachs grumbled in unison. They were all extremely hungry and all desired some sort of nourishment.

"Dawn, can you…" Ash started to say, his eyes big and pleading. But before he could even say another syllable, Dawn interrupted him.

"No, I cannot and will not cook for you, Mr. Ketchum," she stated, much to Ash's disappointment. "We don't even have anything to cook with or anything to cook," she continued. Dawn started to walk towards the exit of forest-like shopping center as she motioned for Ash to follow. "If you want food, you'll have to get it at this Scott's house, right?" she added. She looked behind her to see Ash's defeated expression; he trudged over to where Dawn was and sighed in defeat. He knew that there was no point to trying to argue with Dawn on an empty stomach.

"Wait!" a voice called out to them. Dawn and Ash turned around to see the berry shopkeeper running after them. Once he got near them, he slowed down, trying to catching his breath as he raised a basket to them. "H…'ere ya go! A basket o' Oran Berries for yer travels," he panted. "I hope tha' ya' all enjoy 'em!"

"Is that really okay?" Dawn quickly asked, folding her arms in obvious protest. She didn't want to feel as if she owed him anything.

To her surprise, the shopkeeper smiled. "Yer buddy doesn't seem to mind," he said as he jerked his thumb towards Ash, who already took the basket and was giving a berry to Pikachu. With a slight tip of his sunhat, the berry shopkeeper turned around and walked back to his store. Realizing there was nothing more that could be done she sighed and accepted the man's last gift of generosity, but not before clunking Ash on the head.

"HEY! What was that for?" Ash yelled at Dawn, rubbing his sore spot at the same time. Dawn glared in response before she pointed at the basket.

"You didn't even think twice about taking a stranger's basket! For all you know, it could've been laced with something!" The Blue-Haired Coordinator yelled back, not wanting be outdone. Even though Dawn didn't herself suspect any foul play, she was already too deep in the argument to back down now. Her pride was on the line. "Typical Ash," she huffed impatiently. "Always acting before you think!"

Done taking verbal blows, Ash turned to the offensive. "Did you think that someone who let us sleep in shop would _want _to drug us? If even if he did, what would he get out of it?

"CHUUUU!" Pikachu cried out as he once more released an electric shock, this time to settle this dispute once and for all. The bolt unpleasantly coursed through both Ash and Dawn; they suddenly crumpled to the ground, wincing as they felt the remaining after-surges of Pikachu's attack. But less than ten seconds later, they sprang to their feet and were going at each others' throats once more. Initially stunned by their renewed vigor, Pikachu knuckled down, charged up once more, and was ready to interrupt again…

* * *

><p><em>"You know, it's interesting how fate works out sometimes, you know?"<em>

_The reporters hung on every word that Scott was dishing out. To some, this was golden news that could potentially influence the entire Pokémon world. To others, this was a way to earn some quick bucks with the ever popular tabloids. But regardless of their reasons, the reporters were bustling with questions that they desperately desired to be answered. Scott merely held his hands up to eventually silence the noisy bunch before continuing._

_"Like I said, fate is funny that way. Most people tend to believe happen for two reasons. One, they believe that they made it happen. Two, they believe that it's a coincidence," Scott logically reasoned, much to the reporters boredom. They wanted a live scoop on Ash Ketchum, not a philosophical discussion on fate. But what he said next intrigued them…_

_"One day, instead of going to the usual PokéMart for my supplies, I wanted to check out this local shopping area that was famous for its high quality merchandise at surprisingly low prices," Scott said, keeping his widespread grin as the reporters leaned in closer. "But before I even entered the shopping area, I stumbled upon the strangest sight…"_

* * *

><p>Once more, Ash and Dawn crashed to the ground after dealing with Pikachu's Thundershock attack. This time, neither of them had the energy to recover and they both passed out on the ground.<p>

"Pika Pikachu!" The Mouse Pokémon cheered triumphantly. Sometimes, Pikachu really liked being a Pokémon; it was handy in these types of situations. While Pikachu was still celebrating, Ash was the first to regain consciousness, thanks to his developed resistance against electric attacks. Ash gently shook Dawn, who next regained consciousness.

"Hey Dawn. Are you alright?" Ash asked as he helped Dawn sit up. "I think we were both out for a little bit."

She stirred, still feeling a bit groggy. "I'm fine, although…" she ran her hand through her hair. "MY HAIR! IT'S RUINED AGAIN!" Dawn screamed in hysteria. She looked like a mad scientist.

A mad scientist with wacky blue hair.

In her rage, she whacked Pikachu on the head, causing a big red bump to grow on his head. "PIKA PIKACHU!" Pikachu yelled back at the Blue-Haired Coordinator. The Mouse Pokémon tended to his large and painful wound while still receiving death glares from Dawn.

"Calm down Dawn," Ash said, cautiously scooting towards her. "I think Pikachu has had enough punishment for today." After seeing that Dawn was still not calming down, Ash began to feel genuine worry for the coordinator and for Pikachu. Dawn, who was still fuming, eventually managed to calm herself. _"This day is not starting off well…"_

After a bit of silence, the noise coming from the shopping center brought the travelers back to reality. After Dawn tried to futilely straighten up her disheveled appearance, the group started to leave the shopping center and head over the Scott's house.

As they neared the exit of the marketplace, Dawn noticed someone watching her from afar. It was a man, and a portly one at that. The man's stare intensified as the group continued to approach his direction. Dawn was slowing folding under the man's stare, shivers running up and down her back. But as Dawn was trying her best to ignore him, Ash increased the pace of his walk.

"Ash, did you see that guy over there?" Dawn asked quietly, as if to make sure that the man in question couldn't eavesdrop. When Ash didn't reply, Dawn reaffirmed her focus on the suspicious man. "I'm pretty sure he's staring at us."

"Oh, him?" he said, pointing over the portly individual. Despite the distance, the man could see Ash clearly pointing at him. Dawn observed in horror at Ash's less-that-subtle actions and forced his arm down in an attempt to stave off any attention he might have garnered.

"Don't point at him," she hissed, trying hard to not face palm. But despite her efforts, it was too late. The man was comically jogging towards them and showed no signs of slowing. Dawn, now overdramatically fearing for her young life, crouched behind Ash.

But as the man neared, Ash slowly broke into a genuinely childish smile. He recognized this man. He was esteemed! He was kind! He was generous! But most importantly, he was the founder and owner of the Kanto Battle Frontier.

"Scott!" Ash yelled to him, waving his arms in a friendly greeting. As Scott walked up to Ash, Ash noticed that Scott wasn't wearing his traditional light blue shirt and white shorts. Instead, he had a plain black shirt, richly black shorts, and a sort of covert-looking cap. If Ash didn't know any better, Scott could've passed off as some sort of Team Rocket reject. The two shook hands as Dawn promptly jumped up from behind Ash, now knowing who this person was. She too shook hands with Scott as she introduced herself.

"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Dawn," he replied with his husky tone. "And it's nice to see you again, Pikachu." He gave Pikachu a small wave before turning back to Ash. "My my," he said, almost smirking in the process. "I never thought I would run into you here of all places, Ash." He studied Dawn a bit. "And someone looks as if they've gotten shock therapy recently." Dawn groaned and let her head drop in embarrassment, allowing Scott to take the opportunity to lightly chuckle.

"Yeah, it's good to see you again Scott," Ash said. The young trainer, though happy to see Scott, was still a little confused about something. "But If I may ask, why are you wearing all black?"

Scott eyes glinted with mischief and excitement. "This is my scouting uniform. I put this on when I go out looking for worthy trainers to challenge my Battle Frontier. I wouldn't normally put this on for something as simple as going to a marketplace, but I suppose I could be spontaneous every once in awhile," he thoroughly explained. While Ash understood, he didn't really…understand. The young trainer decided that the brainpower for this wasn't worth it and tossed his unimportant thoughts aside.

"Hey Scott," Ash abruptly said. Scott raised an eyebrow, acknowledging that Ash had his full attention. "You know…about the position that you offered to me…" Ash trailed off, not sure just why he was losing his nerve. Perhaps it was because he felt as if the chance already passed and he was just making himself look unbearably stupid. Nevertheless, Ash pressed on. "I was wondering…if that offer to become a Frontier Brain was still available."

Scott let the words sink in, his expression shifting to an unreadable status as he thought to himself. Yes, the position was still open to those who had completed the challenge. Ash has fulfilled all the requirements of becoming a Frontier Brain, including having a powerful team to be able to truly challenge trainers and push the art of Pokémon battling to greater heights. Scott could see no reason as to why Ash shouldn't become one, yet he hesitated.

"_Would he be able to stand under the pressure of it all?" Scott thought. "Would he be able to seriously make that commitment and not have the desire to run off for long periods of time? Can he be…responsible? Not only for himself, but for everything tied to him?"_

Small beads of sweat raced down Ash's forehead. He knew that Scott was seriously debating on whether Ash could rise to the challenges of being a Frontier Brain, especially after initially declining. But with the _other _factor looming in the distance, Scott decided to trust that Ash would be able to rise to the challenge for the sake of his Battle Frontier. He had decided.

"Ash," Scott said in a warm tone. "After careful consideration of your request to become a Frontier Brain, I'm afraid that you've been accepted," he said, his eyes glinting mischievously again. "Welcome to the Kanto Battle Frontier family!"

Ash pumped his fist in the air, triumph exuding from his inner spirit. "Yes! I've been…wait, did you say 'I'm afraid that you've been accepted'?" Ash asked as he confused as to why Scott would say such a thing.

Another light chuckle from Scott.

"You see, Ash, the responsibilities that you'll have to tend to extend from yourself to nearly the whole frontier. If you can't manage them, it'll have a negative impact on all of us," Scott slowly explained, making sure that his words made sense to Ash. "And if you can't manage all of your responsibilities, your Frontier Brain status will be revoked faster than you can say Squirtle. Can you manage it all?" While Scott's tone was light, the severity of his warning was crystal clear.

Despite the warning, Ash remained undaunted and nodded vigorously. "I can and I will, Scott," he confidently said. "I've grown as a trainer and as a person these past few years. There is no way that I'll let you down!" As Ash was getting fired up, Scott couldn't help but smile. Strong, young, and confident trainers always managed to ring well with him.

"Very well then," Scott aloofly stated. "After I pick up a few things from the markets, I'll drive us back to my place where we can sign the appropriate paperwork and finalize your joining of the frontier."

Ash groaned in response. "That sounds like a bunch of boring work to me," he complained, rubbing his head from the future headaches of reading fine print.

Even Pikachu agreed with Ash, demonstrated by Pikachu's mimicry of Ash's head rubbing. "Chaaa…"

Scott shook his head in embarrassment and sighed. "Honestly Ash, that isn't even the hard part. Just wait until you actually start filing paperwork, doing check-ups, and…"

"Wait a minute!" Dawn loudly interrupted Scott, who looked moderately surprised. "Ash," she started to say, glancing at him in perplexity as she mulled over her question. "Umm…why are you becoming a Battle Frontier? What about traveling, meeting new people, catching new Pokémon, and your dream of winning a league conference?"

The young trainer looked at her, deciding whether or not he should tell her. "Well, to be honest…" he carefully said. "I guess that…I just kinda want to stop traveling for a little while."

When Ash saw that Dawn wasn't satisfied with his answer, he sighed in resignation and continued. "I also realize that while I may be catching these Pokémon and training them to be at a good level, I just don't have the time to make them great. Plus, what about all my other Pokémon?" Ash paused, letting the weight of his words sink. "When I finally beat Paul, I felt so accomplished, like I had at last overcome a huge obstacle. But when I went against Tobias…"

Ash paused again as he choose his next words carefully. "…my match with Tobias taught me that there will always be someone who is stronger than me if I'm not prepared to face them. I believe that my time in the Kanto Battle Frontier could prepare me and my Pokémon for whatever the future throws at us. This position would allow me to focus my training on Pokémon I already have instead of training wild ones all the time. This is why I want to stop traveling. So that I can be a better trainer."

Dawn examined Ash with scoping eyes, trying to detect any sort of doubt or hesitation. Eventually, she conceded and flashed Ash a small smile. "Well, if that's what you want to do, who am I to stop you?" she rhetorically asked. Ash matched her smile and nodded in appreciation, but Dawn gave Ash a fake pout. "I, however, personally think that what you are doing is a variation of what Paul did," she offhandedly mentioned, though knowing that it would get under Ash's skin. To her not-so-surprise, it did. She decided to push her luck. "I mean, think about it. You both want powerful Pokémon and you both don't want to be bothered with training the weaker ones in the wild. Sounds pretty similar to me."

Ash, despite his better judgment, was about to begin his verbal retaliation when he heard the familiar sound of crackling electricity emitting from behind him. Apparently, Pikachu was on standby for any outburst or argument that would come between the two.

"Chuu…" he warned Ash and Dawn, eyeing them both very carefully. The trainer and coordinator nervously laughed and turned their attention to Scott.

"I see now," Scott stated. "So that's why you want to become a Frontier Brain? So that you can become stronger as a trainer, as well as strengthen the team you already have?" Ash nodded in response. Scott stroked his chin in thought. _"Well, there have been better and worse motivations for things…"_

"So Scott…" Ash said. "You might want to hurry up with those supplies. I really want to get into the swing of things as soon as possible!"

Scott understood. The fiery ambition of this trainer was something else alright. It's only natural that he would want to get a started quickly. "Very well," he said, slowing walking towards the berry store. Once he got there, he waved back to Ash and Dawn, who were waiting for him. The sun still burned and as Ash and Dawn sweltered, they couldn't help but guess as to why Scott wasn't as affected by the unforgiving heat.

Especially in all black clothing.

* * *

><p>After surviving the terrible ordeal of being driven around by 'Scott the Madman', as Dawn so kindly put it, the arriving trio set their sights upon Scott's house. It didn't look like much; it was just a humble wooden cabin located in a rather scenic, forestry surrounding.<p>

"Why do you live out here like this, Scott?" Dawn asked forwardly. "I mean, surely the owner of the Battle Frontier should be able to afford something a little more…prestigious."

Scott merely raised an eyebrow at her question. "Oh, I have more than enough wealth. I choose to live out here because I don't want to be bothered by the press all that often. Plus, I get to live amongst Pokémon, which is always good thing. It keeps me on my toes, if you know what I mean."

The coordinator certainly did not know 'what he meant', but decided to drop it regardless. She turned to Ash, who had been staring at the sky with an unusual air of silence. "Getting cold feet, Ash?" she playfully taunted, trying to get him to loosen up.

Ash averted his gaze from the sky to her and then back to the sky. She could see mental processes running behind his brownish-black eyes, as if he was asking himself that very same question. _"Since when did Ash become so contemplative?" _she asked herself, unsure of how to handle this situation.

The group exited the car and walked up to Scott's house. It appeared to increase in size as they neared the wooden residence, giving the impression that it wasn't as small as Dawn had originally thought. Scott opened the door, ushering in both the Pokémon trainer and coordinator. The inner interior of Scott's house was simple, yet somehow lavish. It was sparsely populated with furniture, but a quick word from Scott reveals that the furniture was not only imported but some of the finest recently designed. After a quick tour of the place, Scott seated his guests and excused himself to go get the paperwork. Pikachu, who wanted to stretch his legs, decided to accompany him. Soon, an uncomfortable silence filled the room. Dawn looked at Ash expectantly, still waiting for him to reply to her earlier taunting. Finally, he broke the silence.

"I usually go into things with headfirst, as if to force my way through challenges that come my way," he started. "Now that I'm going to be a Frontier Brain, I don't think that I will be able to do that anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"People will be coming after my symbol, Dawn. I won't be able to blindly fight people anymore because now I have a symbol on the line," Ash clarified, slowly tightening his fist in anticipation. "During my travels in Sinnoh, I did some research into the workings of the Kanto Battle Frontier. If I lose too many symbols during duration of a month, my status as a Frontier Brain will be revoked."

"Revoked!?" Dawn gasped; she was startled from the fact that a Frontier Brain could be fired from their job.

Ash nodded solemnly. "Yes. They would be deemed unable to perform their duties of upholding the art of Pokémon battling. It's kind of like racing with an old Rapidash. Sooner or later, you have to replace the old and defective with the new and talented."

"I never knew about that. Although, that explains why you are so tense about this," Dawn said. "However, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about. It'll be hard for anyone to beat you," She said with a hint of confidence. Her voice rose in volume as she continued. "In fact, you'll probably scare away all of your potential challengers!"

The young Pokémon trainer felt a bit less apprehensive after hearing Dawn's vote of confidence in him. His own confidence began to return to him as Scott and Pikachu reentered the room, each carrying a heavy stack of paper.

He plopped the fifty or more pages on the table next to them with a few floating from the pile to the ground. Pikachu, in contrast, carefully set the papers next to the disheveled pile. Suddenly, Scott snatched up a single sheet of paper and slammed it in front of Ash.

"Now then, onto page 1: How to be a Brain of YOUR Frontier!"

Ash groaned, feeling the excitement of being a Frontier Brain quickly dwindle. This was going to take some getting used to.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that was fun to write. Dawn is being Dawn. Ash is uncharacteristically thinking about the future. Scott is as chillaxwacky as ever. But best of all, we are getting closer to the meat of this wonderful story. Anyways, thanks for reading. Comments, corrections, praises, and critiques are always welcome! **

**~Till next time!**


	3. Familiar Faces

. .Xx: 

_**Thanks! I always like to know how my readers interpret my stories.**_

0 Jordinio:

_**Thanks for the advice. I'll work on that for sure.**_

Lord Kaizer:

_**Believe it or not, I created this story because of all the frontier brain stories. I like them, but they never seem to get far enough; they end up abandoned, even when they are really good. As for shipping, it's a wildcard for sure; even I don't know what will happen (…well, maybe a little). As for the 7**__**th**__** brain thing, there will be an explanation for that. I don't like how stories want to jump into the action near the beginning of the story; that's why my story may seem a bit slow. I think it'll be worth it in the end, though.**_

Swagnilla-Ice-1985: 

_**Thanks! I'll do my best!**_

radalexistjcassie: 

_**While I'm sure that would make a great story, I'm afraid that it doesn't align with the direction that I was thinking of. However, I appreciate you reading this and will always take into consideration suggestions that I feel would improve the story (reviewer or not).**_

_**~For the record, Ash is older than ten in this story, as many of you probably guessed. This applies to all of the other characters as well. How old are they exactly? I'll leave that up to the reader's interpretation for now.**_

_**Again, you've all been wonderful. I hope to hear more from my audience. Now let's get this show on the road!**_

XXX

"_When is the new Frontier Brain going to be able to start battling?"_

"_What is the backstory on Ash Ketchum? Why do you believe he is qualified to be a Frontier Brain at such an age?"_

"_Scott, do you think that he will be able to uphold a battle facility at such a young age?"_

"_Will Mr. Ketchum have his own battle facility, or will he inherit the facility of the retired…"_

_Scott held up his right hand, silencing the noisy bunch. As much as he enjoyed the attention that his facility was getting, he rather disliked dealing with the ever-so-annoying reporters. Regardless, Scott knew that he had to press on for just a bit longer. After all, the big moment of this interview was approaching… _

"_Now, where was I?" Scott dryly asked the reporters. And even with Scott's trademark sunglasses on, each reporter could feel his cold gaze seeping through. They shuffled around in their seats nervously until Scott snapped his fingers in remembrance._

"_Ah, now I remember. Now, in order to understand my new Frontier Brain's decisions, you have to understand his friends and family. This may seem off-topic, but I assure you that this is very relevant to what I will say later."_

* * *

><p>"Alright guys, good work! Next time, I'm sure you'll be victorious!"<p>

Misty Waterflower had just finished a gym match against a local starting Pokémon trainer. Using surprising wit and impressive determination, the young girl had managed to beat Misty and earn the Cascade Badge. She impressed Misty, who could safely say was not easily amazed. The female challenger reminded Misty of herself when she had been traveling with Ash.

She looked over to her fallen team with pride. The girl had managed to take down Misty's newly captured Poliwag and Goldeen, but not before sustaining losing a Pokémon and leaving with a fairly injured one. Misty considered that a success for her two new Pokémon; despite the loss, her Pokémon battled marvelously and without fear or hesitation. The Poliwag was happy to have battled on Misty's behalf, but the Goldeen looked a bit crestfallen.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Misty said softly to Goldeen. The gym leader knew firsthand how devastating a loss, especially the first, could be. "This was your first battle and you did great. You can only get better from here, you know. We start training tomorrow and soon you'll be a powerful Seaking!"

Goldeen shook its head weakly in protest. Misty was surprised for a moment, but slowly grinned in understanding.

"I see. You just want to be a strong Goldeen, right?" she guessed, almost completely sure that she was correct. Goldeen nodded in agreement. It was uncommon for a Pokémon like Goldeen to become strong and not evolve, but it wasn't the first time that Misty was exposed to this situation.

"_I'll admit that I've become good Pokémon trainer thanks to that immature kid from a few years ago. The experiences and lessons I've learned along the way have really helped define myself," _she thought as she recalled her Poliwag and Goldeen. _"These two are proof of it. They battle better than my Starmie did against Ash when he battled for the Cascade badge. I also learned how to inspire my water Pokémon, even after a tough loss. But even so…"_

She glanced over the water field, letting out a tired sigh. The battlefield was swamped with water that splashed out of the pool, which in turn left an empty pool. In short, the gym was a mess which required cleaning, a task that unfortunately fell under Misty's jurisdiction.

"…_I wish I could do more than just this. I love being a gym leader and all, but I'm never going to realize my dream of being the best water-type Pokémon trainer by staying here and battling newbies."_

Misty grabbed a mop and started cleaning the surrounding area. In her boredom, her thoughts drifted to her sisters and how they were off being the models they always dreamed of being. While Misty disliked having this responsibility forced upon her, her sisters' modeling income helped to support the gym; the pay for being a gym leader was slightly better to that of a Pokémon Battling School Instructor.

In layman's terms…_not very much_.

She supposed that it could've been worse. While she was restricted in terms of travel, she had a steady source of income and a good place to live. Misty also loved her hometown; there were many places for her water-type Pokémon to train. In addition, her Pokémon enjoyed living here, and that was very important to Misty. She was grateful for her adventures with Ash, but she made and choice a long time ago to leave Ash to his adventures while she matured in life. Misty knew that it was the best decision.

She perked up as she heard the doors of the gym open. Unfortunately, the challenger would have to wait until Misty finished up cleaning. It wasn't the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the mini-stadium that Misty addressed her visitor.

"Welcome to the Cerulean Gym. My name is Misty Waterflower," she introduced with her back turned to her visitor. She let out a small grunt as she swept the mop over a particular wet splotch residing on the floor. "Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until…"

A low chuckle interrupted her monologue. "Well, that sounds very well-rehearsed. But, I'm afraid I didn't come here for a challenge, Ms. Waterflower."

Misty threw the mop down in frustration and let out a huff before turning to address her visitor properly. To her surprise, the owner of the Kanto Battle Frontier was standing before her. While Misty never met him in person, his image was plastered all around the region. He and his facility were highly regarded in general; he was something of a celebrity.

"_Don't let his identity get to you," _Misty told herself. _"Just say hi and ask why he's here."_

She walked towards him, trying to her best to look a little presentable. "Hello. You must be Sc-"

Misty slipped on a sneaky patch of water and fell on her behind. She was slightly stunned; she wasn't sure if it was from the fall or from the sheer embarrassment that she caused herself in front of this man. To make matters worse, Scott was trying his best to be professional about the situation, but he was failing miserably at holding back his laughter.

Despite this, he held out his hand and helped Misty up. He noted the bright red color that flushed her face; it amused him so.

"S-sorry about that," she apologized shakily. "Anyways, I believe that you are Scott of the Kanto Battle Frontier, correct?"

He nodded in affirmation. "The one and only. I don't suppose you want identification?"

"None is required. Your very existence provides all the proof," Misty said as she regained her composure. "Your face is all around Kanto."

"Well, I do love the attention that my facility gets. The more well-reputed my facility and I get…the better. Unfortunately, that means that I have to deal with the paparazzi," Scott explained. "I have an interview two days from today, and I'm definitely not looking forward to it."

Scott shuddered in horror as Misty looked at him with a curious expression. She was expecting Scott to be a little more…celebrity-ish? He just seemed like a fun-loving guy to her; at least, that what she's managed gather in the short time that they've been speaking.

"But anyways, I didn't come here to complain about my job," he said, assuming a more serious expression. "I'm here to offer you something."

Misty froze up as her heart-rate quickened. _"Is he going to ask me to be a Frontier Brain? Does he think that I'm good enough to join his frontier? Should I accept if he does? …No, I shouldn't. But the pay is way better and I get to fight stronger trainers! But I also promised by sisters that I would stay here…"_

"I want you to be the manager of my newest Battle Frontier Brain."

"…_oh."_

Scott noticed Misty's slightly disappointed expression, but he brushed it off after her expression was replaced by that of further confusion.

"Huh? Manager of what?" she asked as she was truly confused by what he meant.

"I want you to be almost like a secretary," Scott said. "You would be in charge of everything except battling challengers. Your responsibilities would include financial control, paperwork, setting up of appointments, and other things. You wouldn't have to worry about repairing the battlefield though since I already have someone for that. It looks like you wouldn't particularly enjoy the job anyways," he said with a sly smile. Misty could feel heat rising to her ears as she recalled the moment.

The Cerulean native thought about it for a moment. "Why me?" she asked. "I would think that someone like you would have connections to get you people perfect for this job."

Scott's smile widened; he knew that question was going to come sooner or later. "I'm asking you because my newest Frontier Brain requested you personally. And to be honest, I think that you would do very well at managing. It's not that much different from being a gym leader and you have plenty of experience doing that."

"_Requested me personally? Just who is this person and how do they know me?" _

"The person in question is none other than Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town," Scott announced with a certain amount of pride. "He is my newest Frontier Brain."

The news was a little surprising to Misty; she didn't expect that guy to ever settle down. She always pegged him as someone who loved adventure and traveling, not that anything was wrong with that.

"_Maybe he changed like I did…"_Misty thought. _"Can Ash…be done with his journeys?"_

"It's a funny story about how he nearly hunted you down. He would've done it too, but I was heading this direction anyways," Scott laughed as he remembered the scene.

* * *

><p>"<em>Scott, I'm really tired of this already," Ash complained as he signed his initials for the hundredth time. The stack of papers that required his consent never seemed to decrease in size and his fingers were aching. "Can't I just say 'yes' to all of these?"<em>

_Scott shook his head. "I'm afraid not. You need to sign each and every line that says 'sign here'. It's a matter of legality," he said, switching a completed paper with an unsigned one. "The paperwork only increases in amount after you actually start your duties as a Frontier Brain. You'll have to get used to this."_

_After thirty more signatures, Ash threw his head back and groaned. "Scott, I don't think I'm cut out for all this stuff. I just want to battle strong trainers," he complained, putting down the pencil. "Isn't there someone else who can do it? Like a secretary or something?"_

_Scott pondered Ash's questions. There was no rule saying he __**couldn't **__have someone like that, although it would undermine Ash's ability to be responsible. Scott wanted Ash to grow not only as a trainer but a person as well; Scott had plans for Ash which involved him making smart choices in the face of adversity. Despite this, Scott figured that allowing Ash to have a manager would be beneficial in the long run. Ash would have an example to follow so that when he did assume his full responsibilities, it wouldn't be new or overwhelming to him._

"_I have a few people in mind that could do…well, just that," Scott said. "You'll still have to maintain some responsibilities outside of the battlefield, but the bulk of the work will be handled by your manager."_

"_YES! No more boring paperwork for me!" Ash shouted in triumph. He jumped out of his chair and did a little mini-dance of victory. Apparently, the young trainer had selective hearing; he completely missed the part about 'maintaining some responsibilities outside of the battlefield'._

"_Shall I make a few calls, then?" Scott asked as he picked up his phone expectantly._

_Ash was about to give the okay, but he hesitated. _

"_Actually, now that I think about it…" he mumbled. His eyebrows furrowed in thought while Scott patiently waited. Suddenly, a thought came to Ash. "Scott! If it's possible, can I make a suggestion for the position?"_

"_I'm listening."_

"_I have a friend over in Cerulean City. She is the gym leader and her name is Misty…Waterflower?" Ash said, trailing off into a question as he tried to recall Misty's last name. "Anyways, I think that she would be really good at this kind of stuff since she is a gym leader and all."_

"_If she's a gym leader, doesn't that mean that she won't be able to leave the Cerulean Gym?" Scott asked. "And I'm afraid that your new Frontier won't be able to be built in proximity to Cerulean City due to its construction policy."_

"_She has sisters who are all qualified as gym leaders," Ash explained. "They are out and about right now, but I'm sure that they'll come back if she's leaving. They are better gym leaders for the new trainers anyways, since they aren't as skilled as Misty is." He paused for a moment. "I'll even ask her myself. I'll head down there right now!"_

_Scott held up his hands, stopping Ash's rashness. "Easy there tiger. If she's really that important to you, I'll go down there and ask myself. I'm heading to the old Kanto Power Plant, so it's on my way there." Scott wrote down his phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to Ash. "Expect a call from me tomorrow. You should stay local until then."_

"_Alright, deal!"_

* * *

><p>"So there you have it," Scott finished up.<p>

Misty snorted in response. "Tch. That guy needs to use his brain more, I swear…"

Scott looked puzzled. "Is there something wrong, Ms. Waterflower?"

"Unfortunately, there is. While my sisters are qualified gym leaders, they _hate_ being gym leaders. They would much rather prefer the limelight than the responsibilities tagged along with being a gym leader," Misty explained to Scott. "Plus, I don't think they'll be back to even visit anytime soon. Their 'work' keeps them traveling and they could be anywhere right now. I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline your offer."

"I see," he said, nodding in understanding. "Well, it's a shame that you can't join us. I can already tell that you would be perfect for the job."

"How would you know?"

Scott's eyes twinkled mischievously. "I always make sure to research these things. My connections have informed me that this gym is very well run, which I can deduce from my own observations."

"Well, of course!" Misty exclaimed, puffing out her chest with a bit of pride. "It's a personal goal for me to make sure that my gym is the best in all of Kanto."

"_Now I can see why you wanted her for this, Ash," _Scott thought as Misty continued boasting about the gym. _"Sorry Misty, but you are going to be a part of my facility soon, whether you like it or now. I'll personally make sure of that."_

While Misty was still talking enthusiastically about the latest gym arrangements, Scott suddenly interrupted her. "Sorry, but I must take my leave know," he said as he fished something out of his pocket. He drew out a small white card and handed to Misty, who took it with a raised eyebrow. "This is my card. If anything changes, give me a call. The position won't be open forever, so I hope you'll apply soon."

Before he left, he turned to Misty one last time. "Oh…and Ash says 'I'll see you soon, Mist'."

* * *

><p>"<em>I'll admit something to you all. I have a bit of a mischievous side," Scott said, chuckling a bit. <em>

_The reporters stared at him with a deadpan expression; they all could've guessed that in the small time that they were in the same room with the guy. Nonetheless, the reporters jotted it down in case the news stations could use it to their advantage later. Scott looked over them, confident that what he had to say next would get them riled up with excitement._

"_After I passed through Cerulean City and was on my way to the power plant, I-"_

_A reporter suddenly stood up. "Scott, why did you head to old Kanto Power Plant? What business did you have there?" _

_The other reporters jumped on the same idea and rode the question that the first started._

"_Does the power plant have anything to do the Ash Ketchum?"_

"_Why are you going to that abandoned place?"_

_Scott held up his hands once more to silence the noisy reporters. "That's none of your concern, I'm afraid," he said, much to the reporters dislike. "But I'll make sure to make it up to you all, I promise."_

_The reporters hated losing a potential scoop, but they were in no position to argue with the man. So they sat down and shut up as Scott continued to talk._

"_As you may all recall, I told Misty I already had someone to clean up around the facility. Truth be told, I didn't have anyone to do that at the moment. I was just going to hire a regular janitor. However, I received a call from someone offering to take the job. As to who that person is…well, it's her name is Vera and she is another one of Ash's good friends," he explained, catching the reporters' short-spanning attention. Two good female friends of a male Frontier Brain living more or less under the same roof was the perfect recipe for a good story._

"_I actually received a call from her while I was on my way to the Kanto Power Plant. It was quite the surprise, but I think that it worked out for the better," Scott said with suspicious glint in his eyes. "After all, the more friends…the merrier."_

* * *

><p>"Who is this?"<p>

It was uncommon for Scott to receive a call from an unknown number, especially one from an area code outside of the Kanto region. On any other day, he would have probably ignored it but for some reason, he felt like he would've lost something important if the call wasn't answered.

"Umm…my name is Vera," the voice said; it sounded feminine to Scott's ears. "And I-"

"I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong number," Scott interrupted dryly. He had to get off the phone with this person before they discovered who he was. "Good day, Vera."

"Wait! Don't hang up!" the voice yelled out.

Scott just stopped short of pushing the END button; he reluctantly pushed the phone back up to his ear. "Yes, what is it?"

"…My name is actually May. May Maple, to be exact," she truthfully introduced, sighing in relief that she got the right number. "I assume that this is Scott? I could never forget a voice like yours."

"_May? Now that's a name that brings back some memories," _he thought, reminiscing the days when Ash was just a challenger of his Battle Frontier. _"I can't say that I'm not surprised to hear from her of all people."_

"It's nice hearing from you after all these years," he said, his previously dry tone melting into an informally warm one. "What do I owe the pleasure of a surprise phone call from the 'Princess of Hoenn'?"

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that flattery will get you nowhere?" May laughed, nonetheless enjoying the compliment Scott gave to her.

Granted, it was Dawn who first said that to her, but it held extra emphasis since it was the famous Scott that said it. She eventually adopted that term after she achieved Top 4 in the Kanto Grand Festival. That was how, more or less, her stage name came to be.

"Maybe, but I tend to go against conventional advice," Scott replied with a chuckle. "But seriously, I didn't even know that you had my number."

"You aren't the only one with connections, you know," she said knowingly, answering Scott's unasked question.

"I should've figured," Scott said while grinning. "I assume there is reason that you called me?" He paused for a brief moment. "And now that I think about it, why did call yourself 'Vera'?"

"Oh…that," May sheepishly said. "Well, due to my fame, I can't have people knowing whose number this is in case I call someone I didn't mean to by accident. Since I had never called you before, I figured that I should play it safe until I could confirm your identity."

"I see."

An uncomfortable silence held in the air for a bit as May thought about her next words carefully. She didn't want to come off as needy or desperate.

"Scott, there is something I would like to ask of you," she said, trying coming off as formal as possible. "I am aware that you not only are building a new battle facility, but also have enlisted a new Frontier Brain for your Battle Frontier. I was wondering…if you had any positions open…?"

"May, what exactly are you asking?" Scott asked, though he had a pretty good idea of what she was asking about.

"_Alright, here it goes!"_ she thought confidently.

May let out the deep breath that she had been holding in. "Scott!" she shouted loudly, startling him in the process. "I would like to work for you in this new battle facility!"

"Sure."

"Now Scott, hear me out on this," May began hastily. "I can do pretty much anything and…wait, did you say 'sure'?"

"I sure did. I think you would be a welcome addition to our little family. Plus, the fame of having a top coordinator residing at the Kanto Battle Frontier wouldn't hurt our popularity," Scott said. "Unfortunately, the only job that I can think of you doing is janitorial duty. You would be responsible for maintaining the integrity of the facility by making sure everything is proper. Would you be up to that?"

"I think I can handle that."

Now it was Scott's turn to ask a question that had been on his mind. "If I may ask, why do you want to work at the new battle facility? Surely a top coordinator such as you can earn more money through winning contests."

"The money I got from getting Top 4 at the Kanto Grand Festival is somewhat substantial, but it isn't consistent and I'm pretty much screwed if I lose," May explained to him. "Besides, it's not about the money. I want to work for you because I believe that it could help me further my ability as a Pokémon Coordinator."

Scott couldn't help but laugh a little since May's reason for working under him nearly paralleled Ash's reason for becoming a Frontier Brain. But then again, he always thought that May was a lot like Ash…or was it the other way around?

"I've wanted to become a Top Coordinator almost all of my life. It's very important to me," she continued, hoping that Scott would understand. "I know that only really strong trainers challenge your Battle Frontier. I might be able to benefit by watching your Frontier Brain duke it out with these trainers. I might get new ideas for combinations that will help me woo the judges. I'll even train with the Frontier Brain in my spare time to get stronger! Heck, I'll even-"

"Okay, I think I get the picture," Scott laughed, cutting May off. He would've listening longer, but he was nearing the power plant as they spoke. "Anyways, you're hired. Where are you now?"

"I'm in Saffron City right now and getting some lunch," she replied.

"I'll need you to be in Viridian City in 2 days."

May's expression shifted to surprise once she heard that. She drank a bit of the water given by her waiter to calm her nerves, but still was still a little shaken.

"S-So soon? I mean, I can make the travel, but…" she trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence

Scott sensed her hesitation and gave her a little push. "But what?"

"Umm…nothing," May sighed, her voice heavy with disappointment. "I'll give you a call when I get there. Should I buy anything or prepare for my job?"

"I don't think that will be necessary," Scott informed. "Just come as the Pokémon Coordinator that you are. I'm sure Ash will be pleased once he recognizes you and will be thrilled to know that you've joined the Kanto Battle Frontier."

"Wait, what? What does my job have to do with Ash?" May asked, slightly confused by Scott's words.

Scott, on the other hand, was confused by May's words. It took him a few seconds until he realized that May didn't know who the Frontier Brain was yet.

"Allow me to clarify, then," Scott said. "Ash is my newest Frontier Brain. You'll be working with him, if not a bit under him."

May was pleasantly surprised! She would be working with her old traveling friend, and she was certainly excited with the prospect. Ash was a great trainer and a wonderful friend; she missed him very much when she traveled around Kanto.

…although she wasn't too excited to be cleaning up after _his _messes.

Regardless, May couldn't be much happier. "Scott, you just made my day!"

"And I'm sure I'll make Ash's once I tell him that you are on the team," Scott added on. He loved telling people good news and their reactions associated with said good news.

"Ah…actually, I kind of want to do that myself."

"Oh? Is there any particular reason?" Scott asked. He didn't mind if May told him herself, but he at least wanted to know the reason as to why.

"I just want to surprise him," May explained, giggling at the prospect of a surprising Ash. "Just tell anybody who asks that I'm Vera, the newest cleanliness manager at the newest battle facility!"

"I'll make sure to honor your wishes, Ms. Vera," he promised to the coordinator. "I'll be seeing you shortly."

"Likewise! I'll catch ya later!" May said as she hung up her phone.

The Pokémon Coordinator squirmed in her chair in excitement. She could hardly wait to start her duties as a member of Ash's battle facility. The work itself wasn't all that appealing, but the prospect of being with Ash again somewhat compensated for it. She would go shopping for some clothes that she could surprise Ash with and…

With a heavy sigh, she just remembered that if she were to get to Viridian, she would have to leave today. That means…

"_Oooh…almost no time for shopping…"_

* * *

><p><em>The reporters were writing all of this down furiously. Of course, Scott made sure to omit Vera's actual name while he was doing his retelling. As they continued writing, Scott checked his watch. At last, it was finally time for the big moment of this interview to happen.<em>

"_And now, I thank you for your time everyone. I hope that you've all enjoyed this interview," Scott announced to everyone, much to their confusion. Was the interview over already? _

_Scott was stepping off the podium when all of the reporters started to protest. Scott didn't even answer any of the important questions! What about Ash? What about the battle facility? They were in frenzy until, for the third time, Scott held up his hand for silence._

_Scott pointed towards the door. "Now if you'll direct your attention towards the entrance, you'll find the answers to your questions."_

_After Scott spoke, two people entered the room. One was a native from Cerulean City and the other was the owner of the newest battle facility._

"_I now introduce you to three members of the new battle facility! They are Primary Manager Misty Waterflower from Cerulean City, Upkeep Manager Vera, and Frontier Brain Ash Ketchum!"_

_The room erupted in volume! Questions were tossed left and right at the trio as they approached the podium. Ash stood in the center with Misty to his right and Vera to his left. As they began to answer their questions, Scott took this opportunity to exit the room with discretion, leaving the capable trio to their own devices. After all, he was beyond tired of dealing with these reporters._

"Good luck, guys. You are going to need it with this noisy bunch," he said as he made his hasty retreat.

* * *

><p><em><strong>So there you go. This is the last backstory chapter, so hurray! However, there might be a bit in the next chapter (depends). It was fun writing this, but I'm really excited for the next chapter. I hope you guys share my excitement! Review if you please! Or not! Do what you will ^_^<strong>_

_**Anyways, I'll see you again soon enough. Peace!**_


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